Dr. Rhea Dodd teaches dogs to have the confidence to stay calm when left home alone.

It turns out that whether a dog displays separation anxiety or not depends on whether the canine has an optimistic or pessimistic take on life.

That, at least, is the finding of a new British study that tries to shed more light on the condition that owners have come to know and loathe: anxiety-ridden, noisy dogs that cause various types of destruction when left home alone.

Researchers at the University of Bristol in Great Britain produced the study, which was published in the Oct. 12 issue of Current Biology, by following the behavior of 24 shelter dogs.

In step one, the researchers took each of the dogs to rooms and played with them for 20 minutes. The next day, they took the dogs back to the rooms and left them alone, according to an article in HealthDay News.Read more…

Fetch takes a topical look at a variety of issues affecting pets, including the latest research results.. It seeks to provide useful information for Colorado pet owners and to spotlight the work of Colorado animal welfare groups.